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Boone ignored my suggestion and held up a mug. “We have to talk. I brought you coffee.”
His wording reminded me of last night, and set me on edge. Before I reached him, it happened.
King lifted his leg.
Boone jumped back too late, and when he did, the coffee ended up on the ground. “Fucking dog,” he yelled.
I failed to stifle my giggle as I reached him. “I warned you.”
“It’s not fucking funny. Did you train him to do that?”
First a demand and now an accusation. This was a script I knew well, and hated. “Fuck no,” I spat. “He’s untrainable.”
Boone shook his leg. “These were new shoes.” His jaw clenched, but after another shake of his leg, he relaxed and sighed. “You have to make your warnings a little clearer.”
“Have to?” I bristled. We were right back to last night, which was the opposite of how I wanted to start the day. Turning back to the shack, I threw over my shoulder, “I don’thave todo shit.”
The steps behind me were rapid. Boone planted himself between me and my sanctuary. He raised a hand toward my shoulder.
I stepped back. “You’re in my way.”
“I came out here to apologize. I was wrong last night. The dinner.”
He’d broken the script. He was supposed to rant and rave to make me feel bad at this point. “Great. Now can I get past?”
“First, you have to listen.”
I sucked in a deep breath for my tirade.
He raised his hands in surrender before I could yell at him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. You don’t have to listen, but I’d really appreciate it if you would. I’ve fallen into a pattern with you that isn’t healthy, and I want to say I’m sorry for that.”
Now we were way off the usual Kevin-style script, so I shut up, not sure where this was leading.
Izzy circled him, sniffing.
“Anyway, I’m very sorry for not taking your reservations into account about dinner last night. I didn’t mean to pressure you.” He raised a hand. “Hold on. Let me try again. I did pressure you, and at the time I did mean to, and there’s no excuse for that. What I’m trying to say is that I’m trying to learn, and I want to do better with you. You have the right to say no to anything you want without me making you feel bad.”
I looked down at the pee on his leg and shoe. I could have handled the King warning better as well.
“So I’ll try to be better, and would you please go away with me this Friday? Out of town.”
“Go away?” I thought I’d been clear that this was a temporary thing, and not a budding romance meant to ratchet up beyond fun times together.
He moved closer and took my hands in his. “A simple overnight, away from this town, just the two of us.”
I nodded, my resolve crumbling faster than a shortbread cookie. Grace returned on Sunday, so it wasn’t like this could ramp up into a second and third trip out of town. “But I have the—”
“Before you say dogs, Marge has agreed to look after them so we can have some time alone.” The smolder in his eyes melted me. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
I nodded. “Where to?”
“Not far.”
I wasn’t going to get more out of him than that, so for this invitation, I went with what Laurie would advise. “Okay.”
CHAPTER31
Angela
